


Take it on trust

by Beleriandings



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26271595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: Whatever Tosh had been expecting from this case, it had not been the sudden appearance of Doctor Martha Jones, UNIT Medical Officer. And as things stood, she thought it fair to say it had unsettled her a little.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29
Collections: Torchwood Fan Fests: Bingo Fest 2020





	Take it on trust

**Author's Note:**

> For the Torchwood Fan Fests Bingo Fest 2020 prompt "UNIT".
> 
> Based on how freaked out Tosh looks in those scenes at the beginning of Reset (before they get to know Martha properly) which, given the circumstances and Tosh's past, I think is entirely reasonable.

Whatever Tosh had been expecting from this case, it had not been the sudden appearance of Doctor Martha Jones, UNIT Medical Officer. And as things stood, she thought it fair to say it had unsettled her a little.

It had been a while now since Tosh had thought about UNIT, actually. They’d had a little more communication with them during Jack’s absence, but usually it had been Ianto heading them off, with Tosh mostly just rerouting their data traffic to avoid the occasional unsophisticated hacking attempt. It was easy stuff, really, and she found it rather satisfying to throw them off the scent.

But now there was a UNIT operative in the Hub, laughing and exchanging friendly greetings with Jack. And Tosh had to admit she was not the most comfortable she’d ever been. The fact that this Martha Jones was not currently in uniform wasn’t doing very much to calm Tosh’s nerves; the fact that apparently she was brilliant, even less so.

Tosh eyed her warily from the walkway beside Gwen, hands tightening on the railing as she looked down on Owen and Martha. They were talking across the autopsy table, throwing quick remarks and smiles. Tosh felt her grip tighten; it wasn’t as though she was opposed to Owen flirting. Or if she was, she liked to think no one noticed; it was a little blow to her heart every time, but she always did her best to never let it show. After all, she told herself, it was hardly as though she had any claim on Owen, and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to feel sorry for her.

No, it wasn’t that, she thought as she watched them. It was just that… Martha was still from UNIT, was the thing. She looked over at Jack, who was looking down at her fondly. Clearly Jack trusted Martha implicitly for some reason, though what that might be was less clear.

But the fact that he’d so easily brought someone from UNIT into what was supposed to be Tosh’s place of safety – the safe haven he’d brought her to, when he’d taken her out of that cell, the place where she’d built a new life for herself with his help – left her unsettled and on edge.

Yet as nervous as Tosh was, there was something about Martha, she thought. There was a kind of assurance and warmth to her that made Tosh feel a little more at ease. It was probably the only thing that was keeping her in the same room as Martha right now, but there was something of the way Jack was about her. Some secret strung between them, some shared history.

And Tosh thought, in a flash of realisation, that she knew what it was.

She’d met the Doctor after all, and when Jack had come back – when they learned where he’d been for those three months, if not the details of what he’d been doing – Tosh had belatedly recognised something similar in Jack, painting him in a different light in all her memories of the time she’d known him.

 _Time travelers_ , she thought. She was getting better at spotting them. And Martha was one too, she realised; it was the only thing that made sense, and she’d bet anything on it.

She looked over at the others, wondering if they’d made the connection yet; Gwen was looking down at Martha, intrigued and clearly impressed, but Tosh wasn’t sure she’d figured it out yet. Ianto’s face was like a blank wall, but she thought it likely he’d figured it out too, or at least would soon enough. Ianto knew everything, and besides, Torchwood One had always dealt more in matters to do with the Doctor and the people who traveled with him. (Though admittedly, nowadays she knew that that was probably because Jack had been taking personal responsibility for that side of Torchwood Three’s operations all these years.)

 _Owen_ … she didn’t think he’d worked out Martha’s significance to Jack yet. But the way Jack was looking down at her, the fondness and clear trust in his eyes, was doing a lot to put Tosh’s mind at ease.

And so, after Martha and Owen finished the autopsy, Tosh forced herself to gather her courage, putting on her best smile and walking up to Martha, to begin to talk her through the computer system and how it worked.

Jack trusted her, Tosh thought; and Tosh trusted Jack, more than almost anyone else.

And that was as good a place to start as any.

**Author's Note:**

> ~~I lowkey headcanon that Tosh came to have a little bit of a crush on Martha by the end of her time there (because honestly who wouldn't) but that's a different story (maybe)~~


End file.
